Can children have pets?

Yes, having a pet from an early age can bring many values, both intrapersonal and extrapersonal, in the child. However, it is essential to consider these factors: the age of the child and the type of pet you want to get.

What age is recommended for a child to have a pet?

A recommended age range to entrust a child with a pet is between 5 and 6 years of age. At this age, they are able to understand that a pet is another living being and not just a toy, thus reducing the risk of presenting careless and aggressive behavior that can anger their pet and put the child’s health at risk. In addition to that, from these years on, he can participate more actively in his partner’s care.
In the beginning, it is good to start calmly, providing pets such as hamsters or fish, even a turtle, pets that do not have such demanding maintenance. As it grows, if you can, increase the amount of responsibility that can be given, taking care of a cat or a dog without problems.

Do children take good care of pets?

This depends on several factors, including age and the habit of caring behavior from a young age. One way to promote good development in our pet care is to assign them tasks as they grow, thus instilling a sense of responsibility and care. For example, we can teach young children to feed them and treat them with love and respect. As they grow up, they can be taught to keep them clean, and, to this extent, kids know how to properly care, feed and maintain their pet, reaching the point where they can do it on their own.

What benefits does a pet offer for a child?

There are many benefits that pet caring can offer children, both psychological and physical. When it’s decided to incorporate a pet into the family, we can take this opportunity to teach our children to develop their senses of sensitivity, respect, empathy, and social integration. We can also foster your sense of responsibility and commitment when carrying out a homework assignment. It will teach you that others also have needs, and you must respect them.
Acquiring a pet can also help develop the health and physical activity that our child performs, since they love to play and go for a walk with their new friend. In the case of a very young kid, it can help to psychomotor development from an early age. There are even cases where having a pet relieves combat stress and alleviates negative feelings, and also increases the defenses against children’s allergies.

What are the best pets for kids?

Depending on the child’s age, the ideal pet can change. For example, in its first years, the best is a pet that does not require much maintenance, and as it grows, it may be given greater responsibilities.
The most recommended pets for a household with children are:

Fishes

These are the ideal pets to start with since they hardly need any care. Also, thanks to the wide variety of them that exist, both in colors and sizes, you can vary your fish tank a lot and choose the ones that your children like the most.
Children generally love fish and their colors and have a lot of fun caring for them. The only disadvantage these pets present is that they generally have a very short life span, and their death can affect children, especially when they are very young. They have not learned to assimilate natural events such as death and therefore do not know how to deal with these kinds of losses.

Hamsters

Another option as a first pet for a child are hamsters. These are very affectionate and intelligent animals, which are also good at relating to people. Your child can have fun, and they may even be able to teach them basic tricks to entertain themselves and play with them. They are easy to care for and feed. However, despite taking up little space and being kept in small cages, these animals reproduce very easily when in pairs, so it is best to consider starting with just one to avoid an infestation of these little ones at home.

Rabbits

These are animals that, despite not being as expressive as others on our list, are small animals that know very well how to relate to people. They become very affectionate, are fans of physical affection, and like to be caressed and hold frequently.
These do not require much space, and their care is very basic, so they do not imply such a demanding responsibility. Rabbits only need a good diet and, it is very important that they go outdoors at least once a day, but this can be done easily, under the supervision of the child, which benefits both since they can spend time together interacting and the little one learns more about responsibility and care.

Cats

These are very independent animals by nature. However, this does not mean that they can be very adoring and need the company of their owners. They tend to be good pets despite needing a little more care than the animals we saw previously.
A preferable thing to do when choosing one for home is to select a female cat. Female cats tend to be more docile and spend more time at home with their owners. Something important about cats is that they require careful treatment because if they feel attacked and their personal space is invaded, they can scratch their owners to defend themselves.

Dogs

Dogs are usually the first option of many people, and we cannot blame them. Thanks to their spontaneous, affectionate, and loyal way of being, they are one of the best options as a pet. They are usually very caring and friendly. They relate well with humans. Dogs are easy to train and can be taught tricks quickly. It will keep children in love with them.
When we consider buying a dog for a child, it is best to avoid small breeds as these can be more challenging to relate to, thanks to the constant fear they have of being injured. On the other hand, large breeds tend to be more active and affectionate, of As with cats, it is best to choose a female as they are more patient and friendly.

Precautions

Despite the many advantages of providing a pet to our child, it is also important that we know that animals can transmit diseases to our children since they are very susceptible to being contaminated by bacteria and viruses. For this reason, we must be careful when acquiring a new member of the family and carefully handle matters related to the health of the animal, check-ups with the veterinarian, vaccinations, and others.
Another measure we can take when taking care of our children from these diseases is to keep the area where the animal usually lives clean. Also, to disinfect well the places where it goes to the bathroom. In short, keep all the spaces where the animal is frequently found clean.